What The World Can Learn From China’s Travel Restart After COVID-19
With China’s COVID-19 lockdown over, travel is beginning to restart there. The country’s experience as consumer confidence in travel grows can help businesses in other parts of the world navigate the next normal.
Mongstad Industrial Park in Norway has been selected as the location for a potential liquid hydrogen production plant serving the maritime market as part of a wider project involving Equinor, Bergenshalvøens Kommunale Kraftselskap (BKK), Air Liquide, Wilhelmsen and NorSea.
The scrubber conversions on Attica Group’s SUPERFAST XI and BLUE STAR PATMOS are moving on.
The “red” ship has been in Keratsini (DEH dock) since March 29, 2020, while the new front section for her new enlarged funnel has already been put in place.
Her “Blue” fleetmate on the other hand, has been in the Palumbo (Malta) shipyard since the beginning of March 2020 for scheduled repairs and dry docking, as well as to undergo a scrubber conversion too.
Unfortunately, the Covid-19 found the ship in the shipyard and kept her there. As a result, the work progress was relatively slow.
Both ships are expected to be ready by the end of May.
The story of Damen Ferries starts just before the new millennium, when the management noticed high levels of activity in the fast ferry sector.
Damen entered the market with the acquisition of a license to construct the successful Australian River Runner design. The company’s first project in the sector was the construction of four River Runners for the Dordrecht Waterbus Service.
Shortly after this, Damen acquired its own yard in Singapore, as well as the design for the Flying Cat 40 – a very successful fast ferry of which over 60 vessels would be constructed. In time, Damen would develop this design into the Damen Fast Ferries 4010 and 4212.
Today, Damen builds a wide range of composite vessels at its dedicated Antalya yard in Turkey. In 2009, the product group expanded its reach with a broadened product portfolio that included larger road ferries alongside fast ferries. Damen Ferries has delivered ferries of diverse types and sizes to Europe, Africa, Asia and North and South America.
Damen Ferries continues to innovate with a firm focus on sustainability. As a result of the predicable – and relatively short – sailing routes encountered in waterborne public transport, the sector lends itself well to being the front runner in electric vessel propulsion.
Damen is building its electric and hybrid electric ferries as part of its E3 programme – environmentally friendly, efficient in operation and economically viable. The shipbuilder already has a number of so-called E-Cross ferry projects under its belt. This includes six hybrid diesel-electric Island Class ferries for BC Ferries in Canada, which are prepared for conversion to full-electric in the future when the regional infrastructure is in place.
Also for Canada, Damen is building a fully electric Road Ferry 6819E3 and a Road Ferry 9819E3 for Ontario. Another landmark project is Damen’s construction of seven fully electric 2306E3 Ferries for Arriva’s operation in Copenhagen.
Director Ferries Henk Grunstra, says, “We are very proud of what we have achieved over the last two decades. The world of maritime public transport has changed considerably in this time and we have changed with it, developing our product portfolio and production processes accordingly. We are looking forward to doing the same in the coming decades, responding to the market’s calls for increasing connectivity and sustainability and playing a leading role in the creation of waterborne public transport fit for the future.” (Source: Damen press release)
Baleària to be First Shipping Line in the World with Bureau Veritas Covid-19 Certification
Baleària is working towards being the first shipping line in the world to obtain the Global Safe Site Covid-19 badge at the highest level (Excellence) from Bureau Veritas, certifying that its ships and the ferry terminals that it manages implement specific procedures, cleaning plans, organisational and personal protective measures to prevent Covid-19.
The carrier will also periodically be testing for the possible presence of the virus on surfaces in order to obtain the certificate at Excellence level.
This certificate will guarantee that Baleària goes beyond the guidelines of the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation, conducting more complete, reinforced procedures beyond those indicated by said authorities in terms of safety and cleaning. Certification will cover 16 of the company’s ships (the 12 currently in operation and an additional 4 expected to enter service when the current restrictions on passenger travel are lifted), as well as the two ferry terminals that it manages directly (Dénia and Valencia). Certification is expected to be issued in early June, and will be renewed every 6 months with periodic inspections.
Ferry operator TS Laevad and the Estonian Road Administration signed an agreement with the aim of performing at least 500 additional voyages on the Virtsu-Kuivastu route each year in the period 1 June 2020 – 30 September 2026.
Since it is not possible to do this with the existing fleet during the peak season, it is necessary to acquire a new additional ferry for the route.
According to the state’s wishes, the vessel must be environmentally friendly, have an ice class and an on-board shop, and can also be used on the Rohuküla-Heltermaa line with low sea level. The total length of a suitable ferry is up to 114m, draft about 3.5m, capacity approximately 300 passengers and 110-120 passenger cars or 8 semi-trailer trucks with a length of 19m.
TS Laevad plans to organize a tender for the construction of the additional ferry in the second half of 2020 after the completion of the design work.
As a result of the Finnish government’s decision on May 4, 2020 to gradually ease some of the restrictions related to the coronavirus, starting May 14 Viking Line will open up passenger service again for essential traffic (travel for work…)
Four of Viking Line’s seven vessels will continue their service between Finland and Sweden, the Åland Islands and Estonia. People will be able to continue travelling as usual between the Finnish mainland and Åland. The new regulations enter into effect on May 14, 2020.
Viking Line’s service until May 31, 2020:
Service between Helsinki and Stockholm will be suspended until at least May 31, 2020.
VIKING XPRS, which normally operates between Helsinki and Tallinn, will be out of service until at least May 31, 2020.
Taking into account the absence of precise deadlines for the resumption of regular ferry services between St. Petersburg and the Baltic Sea ports due to the restrictions imposed by the Government of the Russian Federation and EU countries to fight the new coronavirus infection COVID-19, MOBY SPL decided to temporarily use the SPL PRINCESS ANASTASIA ferry in another commercial project in Murmansk, Russia as a floating hotel.
In a press release, the company says it “may bring a similar passenger vessel as a substitute to continue the operations.”
The company also asks the media to stop speculation, by “only considering the official comments of the representatives of the company MOBY SPL in order to present the correct information.”
Brittany Ferries Goes on with the Planned Investments, in Spite Of Challenging Year
At its General Assembly on May 5, Brittany Ferries recalled that tourism is part of its DNA and stressed its major economic contribution to the regions it serves. Chairman Jean-Marc Roué recalled that the history of Brittany Ferries is intrinsically linked to that of the regions it has served, since its foundation. He also said that 2020 will be a challenging year. However, investments will go on as planned:
GALICIA (UK – Spain) to be delivered in July, in service in November
HONFLEUR (France – UK) delayed due to problems of yard in Flensburg
SALAMANCA (UK – Spain) keel laid in April 2020
SANTOñA (UK – Spain) 2023
Before the crisis, the company operated 12 ships on 12 routes, linking France, UK, Ireland and Spain.
Since March 19, BF only transports goods, with 5 ships on Caen-Portsmouth, Cherbourg-Portsmouth, Santander-Portsmouth, Bilbao-Poole and Bilbao-Rosslare.
Key figures for 2019
Revenue EUR 469 million
Passengers 2.49 million (-4.9%)
Cars 866,000 (-5%)
Freight 202,000 (-1.9%)
Brexit with its uncertainty and repeated delays are the main cause for the trend
